Not because of gore or violence (though it’s definitely intense), but because I felt like I was dropped into a fever dream where time, sanity, and cinema itself were unraveling in front of my eyes. And when it was over, I had to sit in silence. Processing. Blinking. Questioning what I just witnessed.
Gaspar Noé, the provocateur behind Enter the Void and Climax, returns here with something more compact — Lux Æterna runs only 51 minutes — but every single second is aggressively packed with sensory overload and existential dread. It’s marketed as a “film within a film,” but really, it’s a dazzling descent into artistic madness, with Noé blurring lines between narrative, documentary, satire, and pure audiovisual assault.
Plot Overview (Without Giving Too Much Away)
The setup is deceptively simple: Béatrice Dalle and Charlotte Gainsbourg (both playing heightened versions of themselves) are on a chaotic movie set filming a witch-burning scene. As technical issues, crew tensions, and artistic egos spiral out of control, the production transforms into a surreal, nightmarish experience — both for the characters and for us.
But don’t expect a traditional plot. This is more like staring into a strobe-lit abyss, where behind-the-scenes drama turns metaphysical. Lux Æterna becomes a searing commentary on misogyny in the film industry, creative power struggles, and the thin line between genius and insanity.
Director’s Vision: Noé Unleashed
Gaspar Noé thrives in the uncomfortable, and here he’s at his most unfiltered. With split screens, overlapping dialogue, intrusive soundscapes, and disorienting cuts, he traps us in a hellish vortex of filmmaking gone wrong. There’s a wickedly self-aware tone beneath all the chaos — Noé is mocking the very industry that gives him power, while also indulging in his usual sensory extremism. It’s experimental cinema at its most polarizing, and yes, he wants you to squirm.
Performances That Bleed Into Reality
Charlotte Gainsbourg delivers a raw, grounded performance that anchors the madness. Her frustration, fatigue, and fragility feel terrifyingly real. Béatrice Dalle, as the more eccentric director figure, is mesmerizing — flipping between nurturing and volatile. The authenticity comes from the fact that these two women aren’t playing characters; they’re dissecting themselves, their careers, and their trauma onscreen.
Cinematography & Sound: Sensory Warfare
Benoît Debie’s cinematography (a frequent Noé collaborator) is both hypnotic and hostile. Split screens are used not for clarity but for tension — forcing you to choose what to look at. Then, in the final act, prepare for a near-epileptic explosion of strobing lights and layered screams. The score by Thomas Bangalter (of Daft Punk fame) only adds to the frenzied spell. Warning: the final 10 minutes are visually brutal and not for anyone prone to seizures or sensory sensitivity.
Themes & Symbolism
At its core, Lux Æterna is about martyrdom — especially female martyrdom in art. The recurring image of witches burning at the stake becomes a loaded metaphor for how women are treated in creative spaces: silenced, punished, exhausted, and aestheticized. There’s also a deep self-referential critique about the role of the director as both visionary and tyrant.
Audience Reactions: USA vs. UK
In the UK, Lux Æterna has gained traction in arthouse circles, especially among fans of experimental European cinema. British audiences praised its bold visuals and philosophical edge, even if many admitted it felt like a “live migraine.” Critics from The Guardian and Little White Lies applauded its commentary on misogyny in media.
Meanwhile, in the USA, the reception has been more divided. While indie and festival-goers admired its daring form (it premiered at Cannes 2019, then hit American screens via MUBI), many American viewers found it pretentious or even unwatchable. It stirred conversations on Reddit and Letterboxd about what qualifies as “cinema” versus “performance art.” Some loved it. Others absolutely loathed it.
Factual Details & Production
Director: Gaspar Noé
Cast: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Béatrice Dalle, Abbey Lee, Karl Glusman
Cinematographer: Benoît Debie
Music: Thomas Bangalter
Runtime: 51 minutes
IMDb Rating: 6.2/10
Metacritic Score: 61
Premiered: Cannes Film Festival 2019 (Midnight Screening)
Budget: Estimated under $1 million (exact figure undisclosed)
Awards: No major awards, though it remains a cult favorite in cinephile circles
All cast, crew, budget, and rating details were fact-checked and verified via IMDb, Metacritic, and Cannes press archives.
Final Verdict
Lux Æterna isn’t a film you enjoy — it’s one you survive. If you’re open to an aggressive, hyper-stylized critique of cinema itself, this might be your new obsession. But if you need clear narratives and calm pacing, stay far, far away.
Rating: 7.5/10 – A cinematic panic attack that you may hate, but won’t forget.
